91% Of Indian CEOs Prefer Promoting In-Office Employees Over Remote: Report

The report, which surveyed 125 Indian CEOs, revealed that 78 per cent expect a return to an in-office work environment within the next three years, slightly lower than the global figure of 83 per cent

91 per cent of CEOs in India are willing to reward employees who consistently work in the office with promotions, raises, and more favourable assignments, compared to 87 per cent globally, according to a recent study. The KPMG 2024 CEO Outlook survey indicates that Indian business leaders are firmly committed to returning to pre-pandemic in-office work models.

The report, which surveyed 125 Indian CEOs, revealed that 78 per cent expect a return to an in-office work environment within the next three years, slightly lower than the global figure of 83 per cent. Only 14 per cent of the surveyed leaders favoured a fully remote workforce, while 30 per cent anticipated a hybrid working model for their corporate employees in the same timeframe.

Commenting on the report's findings,  Sunit Sinha, partner and head of capital advisory solutions, business consulting, KPMG in India, said, "The survey has indicated that a significant portion of the CEOs in India envision a future predominantly characterised by in-office work environment. "As the trend of employees reassessing their work preferences in the post-COVID-19 era gains momentum, it becomes imperative for businesses to gain a comprehensive understanding of the talent landscape in India." 

The report arrives as major corporations like Amazon and Dell urge employees to return to the office for a five-day workweek. These mandates have sparked significant backlash, with 73 per cent of Amazon employees contemplating resignation. Blind, an anonymous job review platform, released the findings after surveying 2,585 Amazon employees, as reported by CNBC Make It.

Furthermore, 91 per cent of employees expressed that they were "overwhelmingly dissatisfied" with the return-to-office mandate, highlighting a significant level of frustration. Additionally, 80 per cent reported knowing a colleague contemplating seeking a new job due to this policy. Among those surveyed, 32 per cent indicated that they were aware of someone who had already resigned in reaction to the memo.

The survey also revealed that many Amazon workers felt CEO Andy Jassy's announcement negatively impacted their morale, underscoring the widespread discontent regarding the enforced office return.